Las Vegas police have released images of a person suspected of shooting a man in the leg on the Las Vegas Strip near the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in October.
An eyewitness captured the incident on videotape near the Miracle Mile Shops on Oct. 11. The shops are connected to Planet Hollywood on the Strip. Police said the shooting occurred during a drug transaction.
In the profanity laced video, a person with his hand in a dark backpack is seen walking away from a man who appears to be taunting him. Two men approach the person with the backpack, who pulls a gun out and shoots one of the men in the leg. The gunman then fled north on the Strip, police said. The victim was hospitalized with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
Southern Nevada’s NBC affiliate, KSNV-TV, posted the eyewitness video on its website.
Police described the suspect as being 20-30 years old. He is about six-feet tall, weighing between 180 and 200 pounds. In the images, the suspect is wearing a white shirt with a graphic print, jeans, and white shoes. Authorities have encouraged anyone with information to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Department.
Surge in Violence
The shooting in October was one of several violent incidents in recent weeks on the famed resort corridor.
Recent incidents near Planet Hollywood include a large fight on a nearby pedestrian bridge, and a pistol-whipping that caused a gun to discharge. The large fight also was captured on eyewitness video. The Las Vegas Review-Journal posted the fight video on its website.
Several recent shootings on the Strip have left victims hospitalized. In one shooting, security officers killed an armed man outside the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa on the southern end of the Strip.
After a shooting near the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in October, authorities arrested two teenage suspects in California. The two later were returned to Southern Nevada and booked into jail in Las Vegas. The victim is paralyzed, police said.
A police captain recently told county officials “a good portion” of the surge in violence is from out-of-state gang members and visitors. Authorities have said several factors probably are contributing to the violence, including alcohol and drug usage.
In response, the combined city-county police department has stepped up its presence on the Strip and other tourist areas in a program police are calling Operation Persistent Pressure. The Nevada Highway Patrol is assisting in the effort.
Casino Security Measures
As the police department beefs up its presence, some resorts are taking steps to increase their own security.
Wynn Resorts has added a K-9 unit and additional security officers at its two hotel-casinos on the Strip. The company owns Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, where the Desert Inn once stood. Guards at the resorts are scanning guests with metal detectors and checking handheld bags.
Similar measures are in place at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on the Strip. In addition to scanning guests with a metal detector, security officers on weekends only allow entry to those who have room or restaurant reservations. Rewards members also are allowed in.
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